Ceiling mounted smoke alarm systems have become common in residences throughout the United States of America, and indeed are required by many fire and safety codes. Such conventional smoke alarms serve to detect the presence near the ceiling of suspended particulate matter in the breathable air of such a household in relatively small concentrations. In fact they will detect in the home atmosphere more than actual "smoke"; as concentrations of dust and water vapor will also activate their alarms, due to their sophisticated ionization chamber detection techniques.
Equally ubiquitous throughout these same households is the conventional hot water heater usually consisting of a storage/heating tank, heating coils if electric, or burner section if gas or oil fired, and associated plumbing and/or wiring. Unfortunately the hot water tanks, as they grow old, or if they are otherwise damaged, may develop leaks which go either unnoticed or undetected, due in part to the remote and sometimes concealed installation location of the water heater. Leaks not detected very soon after they begin can cause severe water damage to the areas of the household surrounding and beneath the water heater. It is therefore of primary importance to have an apparatus and method for early detection of hot water tank leaks.
Since the probability of leakage for any one tank is of a low order, it is difficult to justify the expense of a single purpose specially prepared and installed hot water tank alarm system. On the other hand, putting the ubiquitous smoke alarm to use involves only small expense and effort.
Heretofore no such apparatus or method has been proposed, and certainly no such apparatus or system has been proposed which makes use of an already existing alarm system elsewhere in the household. Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a method and apparatus for early detection of hot water tank leaks.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus and method of providing for the early detection of hot water tank leaks by modifying and making use of a conventional smoke alarm system in the same household.
Other needs arise in a typical household where warning by an alarm system would be beneficial, but where, perhaps, the cost of purchasing and installing such an alarm system would also be prohibitive. For instance window, door, and other access ways to the household, if they are alarmed at all are usually separately alarmed. Similarly, if sump pumps are monitored for failure, the alarm system is a separate one. Accordingly it is an object of the invention to provide a means of protecting access ways to a household, and meeting other alarm needs, by modifying and using a conventional smoke alarm system in the household.